National Marine Fisheries Service
07/27/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 07/27/2021 09:02
Photo Contest Winners Connect Viewers with Habitat
We're delighted to share with you images from talented photographers that celebrate Habitat Month! We received impressive entries in both of the categories. Thank you to all the photographers who sent in entries, from Guam to Cape Cod.
Humans in Habitat
The 'Humans in Habitat' category was for photographs that show people enjoying or benefiting from healthy coastal and marine habitats. Both the winning photo (above) and runner-up photo were taken by the same talented photographer. Congratulations to Claire Fackler, whose entries highlighted the connections people feel with healthy habitats!
Humans in Habitat Runner-up: Girl by Brackish Ponds in Hawaii
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A young girl walks among the brackish water ponds along the Hilo coastline on the Island of Hawai`i at Carlsmith Beach Park. Photo by Claire Fackler.
Habitat and Climate Change
In the Habitat and Climate Change category, we selected photographs that illustrate the effects of climate change on coastal and marine habitats. The winning photo, taken by Haley Capone, highlights the issue of the increasing frequency and severity of algal blooms and their consequences. The runner-up photo tells another algae-related story, but in a very different way and in a different location, thanks to photographer Adam Obaza.
Habitat and Climate Change Winner: Algae Bloom in Biscayne Bay, Florida
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Excessive algal blooms caused by warmer average annual temperatures choking a Biscayne Bay scenic outlook framing downtown Miami, Key Biscayne, Florida. Photo by Haley Capone.
Habitat and Climate Change Runner-Up: Kelp Surrounded by Algae, Catalina Island, California
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Algae, including the non-native Sargassum horneri (the yellow/brown growth at the bottom), surrounds a kelp forest (Macrocystis pyrifera; the tall green/yellow plants) off Catalina Island, California. Climate change threatens kelp forests and opportunistic understory algae, such as S. horneri may soon become dominant macrophytes on southern California reefs. Photo by Adam Obaza.